Filling end remover



Feb. Q [1 BROWN ET AL FILLING END REMOVER Filed April 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS CARL D. 880W G'EOBGEfi BELFORTL ATTORNEY.

EDMED c. IV/CWOLS a Feb. 25, 1941. c BROWN E 2,233,373

I FILLING END REMOVER Filed April 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F1 .4. h f INVENTORS CAEL D. BEoW/v,

ED144480 c N/CHOLS & BY GEOEGEEEEL Fo,7'/.

- M i Q ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FILLING END REMOVER Carl D. Brown, Hopedale, Edward C. Nichols, Up-

ton, and George F. Belforti, Milford, Mass,

assignors to Draper Corporation,

Hopedale,

15 Claims.

The present invention pertains to automatic looms and more particularly relates to the control and removal of filling ends formed by such looms.

Automatic looms commonly have a reciprocat- 5 ing lay with a shuttle box at the replenishing end thereof, and filling replenishing mechanism for automatically replenishing the filling supply whenever the latter becomes substantially ex- .hausted. Operation of the replenishing mechanism incidentally results in the formation of an incoming filling end which projects from the cloth selvage, and commonly also results in a similarly projecting outgoing filling end. The loom includes parting means such as a temple thread cutter for pasting the filling end adjacent the cloth selvage, and another par-ting means for parting and clamping the outgoing filling ends adjacent the shuttle box. As constructed commercially, such looms have not commonly in- 20 cluded any means whatever for collecting the parted filling ends and removing them from the loom, such ends being left hanging from the magazine of the replenishing mechanism or from the said clamping means. 25 The filling ends when left hanging as just described are apt to be caught in moving parts of the loom, particularly the lay, shuttle box or picker, and drawn into the cloth, thus forming a defect in the cloth. The problem of collecting and removing the pieces of filling ends to prevent these defects in the cloth has been vexatious and long standing.

Numerous attempts to solve the aforesaid prob lem have been made heretofore. For example, it has been proposed to remove the filling ends by a suction pipe located adjacent the shuttle box and connected to a vacuum pump. Other proposals include swinging hooks or arms, operated at the time of filling replenishment, to engage the filling ends and carry them to some point not so close to the lay andshuttle box. However, these prior constructions have been unsatisfactory because they are expensive, complex and unreliable, and they have not been used commercially to any appreciable extent. 7

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide an automatic loomhaving a lay, shuttle box, replenishing mechanism, and parting means as aforesaid and a filling end remover comprising a conduit leading from a point adjacent the shuttle box to a point remote therefrom and mechanical means for engaging the filling ends and feeding them into and 55 through the'conduit, the conduit being provided with means for removing the filling ends from the mechanical feeding means, additional means for preventing retrograde movement of the filling ends in the conduit, and means for preventing con-tact between the conduit and the mechanical 5 feeder, whereby such ends shall be automatically prevented from being woven into the cloth.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention are accomplished in the construction illustrated on the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the replenishing side of an automatic loom having the preferred embodiment of our invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of certain mechanism shown on Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section, to a larger scale, showing part of the filling end remover of Figs. 1 and 2, and

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation taken from the left Of Fig. 3.

The loom shown on the drawings is but fragmentarily illustrated, the parts and mechanism not shown being of usual construction which is well known in the art and forms no part of the present invention. In addition, certain of the parts that are shown are old and well known, they being of the present invention only in that they are illustrative of parts that may be used in the combination defined in the appended claims. The old parts include a loom frame, of which, part of a right hand loom side I and a breast beam 2 are shown, and also include a reciprocating lay of which the lay beam 3, reed 4, and shuttle box 5 are shown. The shuttle box 5 is located at the replenishing end of the lay, which in the present instance is at the right hand side of the loom.

A shuttle 6 carrying the fillingsupply is picked from side to side of the loom, along the lay beam- 3, by suitable means which may include a picker stick I. As the shuttle is thus picked, it lays filling thread in the shed S which filling thread is beaten into the fell of the cloth C by the reed 4. When the filling supply in the shuttle is substantially exhausted, a fresh supply is provided 45 by suitable automatic replenishing mechanism. The replenishing mechanism may be of any suitable usual construction, such as the bobbin changing mechanism indicated at 8. This mechanism includes a magazine 9 holding 5 reserve bobbins 10 which are transferred to the shuttle as needed. The ends I of the filling on the bobbins ID are attached to a fixed holder H on the magazine.

The transfer of a bobbin III to the shuttle 6 5- and the subsequent picking of the shuttle results in the formation of a length of filling thread which extends from the holder II through the shed S. The subsequent beating in of the portion of this thread which is in the shed leaves the end projecting from the cloth selvage. This filling end is known in the art as the incoming filling end. When the loom is operating with a filling feeler,,not shown, the replenishing operation results in formation of another filling end I projecting from the cloth selvage. This end extends from the selvage to the outgoing bobbin the shuttle and is known as the outgoing filling end. These filling ends are thus formed by the operation of the replenishing mechanism, but the formation is incidental to the major function, replenishing the filling supply.

The outgoing filling end 1" must be parted, at the time of transfer, between the cloth selvage and the shuttle. This parting may be effected by any usual means, that shown including parting and clamping blades I2. These blades are normally closed, to grip a filling end I as shown, but are moved rearwardly toward the shuttle box and are simultaneously opened, just prior to each replenishing ope-ration. The opening of the blades I2 releases the filling end held thereby. Then, as the replenishing operation takes place, the blades are again closed to part and clamp the new outgoing filling end and the blades are again moved forwardly. This parting and clamping mechanism is not of the present invention, it being disclosed and claimed in patent to Stafford, No. 1,552,388 granted Sept. 1, 1925, to which patent reference may be had for a more complete disclosure.

The filling ends 1 and f are parted adjacent the cloth selvage by any suitable means, such as the usual temple thread cutter I3. Both such filling ends may be supported between the thread cutter I3 and the thread cutter I2 by a hook I4 which is fixed on the loom frame. This hook is not new, per se, but may be found desirable for reasons that will become apparent. The incoming filling end 1 may 'be further supported by a fixed wire I5 which extends over the shuttle box 5 adjacent the outer end thereof.

It will be apparent that, even when hook I 4 and support I5 are used, the .cutting of the filling :ends by cutter I3 leaves the ends substantially free and uncontrolled. The free ends are very apt to fioat or be blown onto moving parts of the loom, and more particularly onto the lay and shuttle box, from whence they may be carried into the shed S- by the shuttle 6, thus causing a defect in the cloth. The defects thus caused,

- on prior looms, are fairly numerous, and are of serious consequence particularly in the better grades of fabrics including rayon and the like. It is to prevent these defects that we have provided the filling end removing means hereinafter described for automatically conveying the filling ends away from the moving parts of the loom.

In-accordance with the present invention, the said removing means comprise a conduit leading away from the moving parts of the loom, and mechanical means for feeding the filling ends into and along said conduit. The particular "conduit I6 shown on the drawings is tubular in form and open at both ends. This conduit I6, is fixed in a bracket H, which may be supported by the stud I8 on which the cutting and clamping mechanism which includes the blades I2 are usually mounted. As thus supported, the condirectly in front of these filling ends, which point is adjacent the shuttle box when the lay is in its forward position. The conduit extends forwardly from its rearward end, to any suitable point that is sufiiciently remote from the moving parts of the loom, particularly the lay and shuttle'box. The forward end 20 of the particular conduit I6 is located over the top of the usual ejected-bobb-in receptacle 2|.

It will be apparent that various suitable mechanical means may be devised for feeding the filling ends into and through a conduit such as the conduit I6. However, the preferred form shown is simple and very effective. This preferred form comprises a member 22 in the form of a plunger. The member 22 has a. single, continuous reciprocating motion which may be imparted by the lay. To this end, the member 22 may be attached to the lay by being pivotally connected at its rearward end to a bracket 23 on the front of the lay 3. The member 22 extends forwardly from the bracket 23 into the conduit I6 and is preferably of sufiicient length that it is not completely. withdrawn from theconduit even when the lay is in its rearward position.

The construction so far described, except for the pivotal connection, may be similar to that disclosed and claimed in the co-pending application of Carl D. Brown, Serial No. 284.028 filed July 12, 1939, now Patent No. 2,206,832. When the member 22 is located as just described, the filling ends 1 and 1" will sag into ena radial front face and a forwardly inclined rear face as shown more clearly by Fig. 3. When thus formed, the projections are adapted to feed the filling ends in one direction only, i. e., forwardly. The forward end of the member 22 has attached thereto a guide 25, shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4. The guide has side walls corresponding in shape to the walls of 'the conduit IE but of lesser diameter to permit the guide to freely slide within the :conduit. The top of guide 25 is convex and flush with the top of member 22. The bottom 26 of guide 25 is concave for a purpose later to be described.

The total movement of the member 22 is appreciably less than the total distance the newly formed filling ends must travel from their first point of engagement with the member 22 until they emerge from the front end of the conduit I6. The member 22 accd'rdingly must reciprocate several times, feeding the filling ends forwardly with an intermittent motion, to feed the filling ends entirely through the conduit. In other words, the member 22 feeds the ends forwardly a short distance, then moves rearwardly leaving the ends stationary, and then feeds the ends forwardly, etc. The particular construction shown is effective to produce the desired intermittent ing the filling ends, the filling ends will enter the feeding action, only if the conduit is provided with means for preventing retrograde or rearward movement of the filling ends. To accomplish this purpose the rearward end of conduit I6 1 may be provided with suitablemeans to catch or hook the filling ends and remove them from the member 22 and hold them against retrograde movement on the rearward movement of member 22. The particular catch or hook shown comprises a pair of oppositely disposed openings 21 located adjacent the rear end of member I6, a pair of inwardly projecting cut outs 28 located at the rear end of conduit l6 and a pair of forwardly inclined slots 29 leading from the cut cuts 28 to the openings 21, the intersection -of the bottom walls of the slots with the openings forming hooks 30. The inwardly projecting cut cuts 28 together with the slots 29 form guides leading to the hooks 30. As the member 22 moves forwardly into the conduit l6 carrying the filling ends, the filling ends will enter the inwardly projecting cut outs 28, ride up the inclined slots 29 and fall into the openings 21 behind the hooks 30.

Additional means are provided in conduit I6 for preventing retrograde movement of the filling ends, the particular structure shown comprises a longitudinal row of integral inwardly projecting tongues 3| struck up from the bottom of the conduit I6. Each of these tongues is triangular in shape and has a radial front face and a forwardly inclined rear face as shown more clearly in Fig. 3.

The operation of the device is as follows.

The filling ends I and f sag into engagement with the member 22 as soon as they are cut by the temple thread cutter I3. The projection 24 on the forward movement of member 22 will engage the filling ends and carry them forward into the rearward end of the conduit l6. As the member 22 moves forwardly into the conduit l6, carryinwardly projecting cut outs 28, ride up the inclined slots 29 and fall into the openings 21 where they will again engage with member 22. On the rearward movement of member 22 the hooks 30' will prevent retrograde movement of the filling ends. On its rearward movement the member 22 moves rearwardly to an extent where its forward end and the guide 25 are rearward of the openings 21 and hooks 30 thereby permitting the filling ends to drop to the bottom of. openings 21 and thereby be placed in a position to be engaged by the guide 25 on the subsequent forward movement of member 22 in conduit I6. On such subsequent forward movement of member 22 in conduit I6, the guide 25 contacts the filling ends and pushes the portions of the filling ends engaged by the guide 25 through conduit I6 to the end thereof. When the filling ends in their entireties have been pushed through the conduit I6 they drop into the ejected-bobbin receptacle 2|. The longitudinal row of tongues 3| will on the rearward movement of member 22 catch and prevent retrograde movement of the filling ends that are not pushed completely through conduit Hi. The concave bottom 26 of guide 25 straddles the row of tongues 3| and prevents contact between the member 22 and the conduit I6, the side walls of guide 25 are of lesser diameter than the diameter of conduit I6 to provide space for the filling ends between the two members. The pivotal connection of the member 22 to the lay cooperates with the guide 25 to prevent contact of the member 22 with the conduit I6.

We find-that with the construction above de broken by a single movement of the operator's hand and then will promptly feed through the conduit and fall into the receptacle 2|. In the meantime, these ends are effectively heldentirely out of any position where they might be caught and carried into the cloth.

Having fully disclosed the preferred embodiment of our invention, we claim:

1. In a filling end remover for automatic looms,

the, combination of a conduit leading away from the moving parts of the loom, a reciprocating member constructed and. arranged to engage the filling ends and feed them into and along said conduit from one end thereof to the other, means pivotally connected to said member for giving motion thereto and means for guiding said member in its movement within said conduit.

2. In a filling end remover for automatic looms, the combination of a conduit leading away from the moving partsof the loom, a reciprocating member constructed and arranged to engage the filling ends and feed them into and along said conduit, said conduit having holding means for preventing retrograde movement of said filling ends, said holding means comprising rigid inwardly projecting members.

3. In a filling end remover for automatic looms, the combination of a reciprocating member having means intermediate its ends for engaging the filling ends and removing them from the moving parts of the loom, hook means positioned adjacent the path of reciprocation of said reciprocating member for removing said filling ends from said reciprocating member and holding them in position in front of said reciprocating member, said reciprocating member being constructed and arranged to engage said filling ends when so positioned and push them further from the loom and means spaced from said second named means for preventing retrograde movement of said filling ends upon retraction of said reciprocating member.

4. In a filling end remover for automatic looms, the combination of a reciprocating member having means intermediate its ends'for engaging the filling ends and removing them from the moving parts of the loom, a fixed member relative to which said reciprocating member moves, means adjacent one end of said fixed member for removing said filling ends from said reciprocating member and holding them in position in front of said reciprocating member, said reciprocating member'being constructed and arranged to engage said filling ends when so positioned and push them further from the loom, and means 10- cated on said fixed member at a point spaced from said second named means for preventing retrograde movement of said filling ends upon retraction of said reciprocating member.

5. In a filling end remover for automatic looms, the combination of a reciprocating member having means intermediate its ends for engaging the filling ends and removing them from the moving parts of the loom, a fixed member relative to which said reciprocating member moves, said fixed member having means adjacent one end for removing said filling ends from said reciprocating member and holding themv in When a number of incoming filling lOI position in front of said reciprocating member, said reciprocating member being constructed and arranged to engage said filling ends When so positioned and push them further from the loom,

; means spaced from said second named means for preventing retrograde movement of, said filling ends upon retraction of said reciprocating member, and means for guiding said reciprocat-.

ing member in its movement in relation to said fixed member.

6. In a filling end remover for automatic looms, the combination of a reciprocating member having means intermediate its ends for engaging the filling ends and removing them from the moving parts of the loom, a fixed conduit withinv which said reciprocating member moves, said conduit having hook means adjacent one end thereof for removing said filling ends from said reciprocating member and holding them in position in front of said reciprocating member, whereby said filling ends may be pushed further from the loom, means carried by said conduit and spaced from said second named means for preventing retrograde movement of said filling ends upon :retraction of said reciprocating member, and

means carried by said reciprocating member for guiding it in its movement within said conduit.

7. An automatic loom having filling replenishing mechanism, a reciprocating lay having a :shuttle box at the replenishing end thereof, and

a filling end remover, said remover comprising a reciprocating member pivotally connected to said lay, said reciprocating member having means intermediate its ends for engaging the filling ends -and removing them from the moving parts of the loom, a fixed member relative to which said reciprocating member moves, hook means adjacent one end of said fixed member for removing said filling ends from said reciprocating member and holding them in position in front of said reciprocating member, said reciprocating member being constructed and arranged'to engage said filling ends when so positioned and push them further from the loom, means spaced from said hook means for preventing retrograde movement of said filling ends upon retraction of said reciprocating member, and means for guiding said reciprocating member in its movements in relation to said fixed member.

8. An automatic loom having filling replenishing mechanism, a reciprocating lay having a shuttle box at the replenishing end thereof, and a filling end remover, said remover comprising a member pivotally connected to said lay and I ,reciprocated thereby, said member having means intermediate its ends for engaging the filling ends and removing them from the moving parts of the loom, a fixed conduit within which said member reciprocates, said conduit having hook ,means adjacent one end thereof for removing said filling ends from said reciprocating member and holding them in position in front of said reciprocating member, whereby. said filling ends are pushed further from the loom and along said conduit, means carried by said conduit for prelay for reciprocation thereby and extending forwardly from said lay, saidreciprocating member having guiding means at its forward end and having means intermediate its ends for en gaging the filling ends and removing them from themoving parts of the loom, a fixed conduit extending forwardly froma point in front of said shuttle box within which the forward .por-e tion of said reciprocating member moves, said conduit having hook means adjacent its rear end and guide means for guiding said filling ends into, said hook means and also having a longitudinalrow ,of inwardly projecting members extending substantially throughout its length, said guiding means on said reciprocating member having a concave bottom surface and side walls corresponding in shape to the side walls of said conduit whereby upon movement of said reciprocating ,member contact with said row of inwardly projecting members in said conduit will be prevented and filling ends in said conduit willbe held between 'said side walls of said guiding means and said conduit and thereby moved forwardly on theforward motion of said reciprocating member.

10. An automatic loom having filling replenishing mechanism, a reciprocating lay having ashuttle box at the replenishing end thereof, and a filling end remover, said remover comprising a fixed conduit extending forwardly from a point in front of said shuttle box and having hook means adjacent its rear end and a longitudinal row of inwardly projecting tongues extending substantially throughout its length, a filling end feeding member pivotally connected to said lay for reciprocation thereby and having a guide on its forward end and means intermediate its ends for engaging the filling ends and feeding them into said conduit, said feeding member moving on its forward stroke to the forward end of said conduit and moving on its rearward stroke to a point rearwardly of said hookmeans, said guide preventing contact between said feeding member and said row of inwardly projecting tongues throughout the movement of said feeding member.

11. In a filling end remover for automatic looms, the combination of a conduit leading away from the moving parts of the loom, a reciprocating member constructed and arranged to engage the filling ends and feed them into and along said conduit .and means forreciprocating .said

member, said conduit having a pair of oppositely disposed openings adjacent its rear end, a pair of cut-outs extending inwardly from the rear end 1 of said conduit toward said openings and upwardly inclined slots connecting said cut-outs with said openings, the intersection of the bottom edges of said slots with said openings providing hooks for removing said filling from said feeding member upon rearward movement of said member, and a longitudinal row of integral inwardly projecting tongues struck up from the" bottom of said conduit for preventing retrograde movement of said filling ends.

12.,In a filling end remover for automatic looms, the combination of a conduit leading away from the moving parts of the loom, a reciprocating member constructed and arranged to engage the filling ends and feed them into and along said conduit and means for reciprocating said member,

said conduit having a pair of oppositely disposed openings adjacent its rear end, a pair of cut-;'

outs extending inwardly from the rear end of said conduit toward said openings andupwardly in-'-, clined slots connecting said cut-outs'with said .rear face whereby retrograde movement of openings, the intersections of the bottom edges of said slots with said openings providing hooks for removing said filling ends from said feeding member upon rearward movement of said member, and a longitudinal row of integral inwardly projecting tongues struck up from the bottom of said conduit, each of said tongues having a vertical front face and a rearwardly inclined said filling ends is prevented.

13. An automatic loom having filling replenishing mechanism, a reciprocating lay having a shuttle box at the replenishing end thereof, and a filling end remover, said remover comprising a fixed conduit extending forwardly from a point in front of said shuttle box, and a filling end feeding member pivotally connected to said lay and extending forwardly within said conduit, said member having a guide at its forward end and for the greater portion of its length provided with a multiplicity of longitudinally spaced circumferential ridges, each of said ridges having a radial front face and a forwardly inclined rear face whereby said ridges engage and feed the filling ends forwardly, said conduit having at least one longitudinal row of integral inwardly projecting tongues each tongue having a radial front face and a rearwardly inclined rear face whereby upon the rearward movement of said feeding member the filling ends are retained within said conduit, said guide on said feeding member acting with said pivotal connection for preventing engagement between said ridges on said feeding member and said projections in said conduit.

14. In a filling end remover for automatic looms, the combination of a conduit leading away from the moving parts of the loom, a reciprocating member constructed and arranged to engage the filling ends and feed them into and along said conduit, said conduit having hook means adjacent its rear end for removing said filling ends from said reciprocating member upon rearward movement of said member, and said conduit also having a longitudinal row of integral inwardly projecting tongues, each of said tongues having a vertical front face and a rearwardly inclined rear face whereby retrograde movement of said filling ends is prevented.

15. In a filling end remover for automatic looms, the combination of a conduit leading away from the moving parts of the loom, a reciprocating member constructed and arranged to engage the filling ends and feed them into and along said conduit and means pivotally connected to said member for reciprocating same, said conduit having hook means adjacent its rear end for removing said filling ends from said reciprocating member upon rearward movement of said reciprocating member and guide means for guiding said filling ends into said hook means, and said conduit also having holding means for preventing retrograde movement of said filling ends.

CARL D. BROWN. EDWARD C. NICHOLS. GE R F- E IQR I- 

